On this episode of State of Play with Greg Stoker: Despite the fervent calls for military action by hawks in Washington and Downing Street, the West is grossly unprepared for a major conflict far from its own borders. The violent far-right riots in the UK this weekend highlight the potential for escalating civil unrest if a war-time economy were to take hold. These riots, fueled by misinformation, reflect how misplaced anger over food, energy, and job scarcity is often directed at vulnerable immigrant populations rather than the corporate and political elites hoarding wealth.
The recent far-right riots in the UK, sparked by misinformation about a tragic knife attack in Southport, underscore the intertwined issues of civil unrest and economic disparity. Protesters looted, burned police cars, and attacked a hotel housing asylum seekers, chanting, among other things, "Get them out! Get them Out!" This misplaced anger overlooks the true culprits: the corporate and political classes who have amassed vast wealth at the expense of the working class.
The unrest in the UK is a case study in the devastation wrought by late-stage capitalism and the failures of the neoliberal world order. The working class faces job scarcity and economic insecurity not because of immigrants but due to policies favoring the top 1% who own more wealth than the entire working class combined. As the West braces for a potential conflict with Iran, it is crucial to recognize that asylum seekers make up a mere 0.06% of the British population, highlighting the misplaced nature of anti-immigrant sentiment.
The neoliberal agenda-characterized by deregulation, privatization, and reduced state influence-has exacerbated suffering for the working class. This economic philosophy, promoted by global institutions like the WTO and the EU, has led to de-industrialization in the West and the exploitation of labor in the Global South. The privatization of national services and the false premise that markets will self-regulate have only served the capitalist elite, not the broader population.
As tensions rise and the possibility of conflict with Iran looms, the true repercussions for the global economy become apparent. If the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil passage, is disrupted, the resulting chaos would dwarf the current civil unrest. Join us tonight on MintPress News as Greg Stoker delves into the devastating civil consequences of a major power conflict in the Middle East, exposing the flaws of the neoliberal world order and the misplaced anger of far-right rioters.
Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a background in human intelligence collection and analysis. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst, and a social media "influencer," though he hates the term.
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Also, be sure to check out rapper Lowkey's video interview/podcast series, The Watchdog.